8/1 Readings

After watching the Pay Attention YouTube video, I felt a somewhat sense of enlightenment. The video definitely brings many good points to the attention of the viewer. One of these many good points is how kids are not being reached enough in the classrooms. In my opinion, the most effective way of reaching out to and teaching a student something is to relate to the material; and by that I mean relate the information and knowledge that you are trying to teach the student into terms that he or she is most familiar with. Is there anything else out there that students can relate to more these days than modern technology? Even little things make a difference, like the library here on campus and their famous text messages they send you to locate a book.
“In the Basement of the Ivory Tower” was another enlightening reading. It was about a college professor, working at two different colleges, and teaching two different courses. After this professor has failed nine out of fifteen students. He expects some form of notification from the administration of these colleges, warning him that he’s failing too many students and that he should start passing more of them. But this never happens. It sucked as a reader and a student to read a story where all of these students fail this course that they are paying for but if they truly would’ve deserved a passing grade, I think that the professor would’ve given them one.
1. What specific ways could an effective teacher use modern technology to gain her students interest?
2. What does the professor in “In the Basement of the Ivory Tower” think about teaching using more modern technology?
3. What is the weapon of choice for the nine failing student’s parents when they beat their kids for failing?